[Nell]

The Psalms were a collection of poems set to music. Many were written by David and most agree that David wrote Psalm 8. For a hymn that begins and ends with "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!", a little context would be helpful.

Picture David, out stargazing, talking to his excellent Lord and telling him "3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;"...

David can't help but ask his Lord, "4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" David also might have had the thought "Who am I?" Do you think David had the thought "Oh I'm a man, I'm the meaning of the universe?" I think if he did, he would have written it down in this poem.

Or, why did you, the God of the universe, make me (v5) just a little lower than the angels, you crowned me with glory and honour. (v6) The man you made, Adam, you made to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: (vv 7-8) All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. Wow! Lord! how excellent is your name in all the earth!

So the real question is not "what is man" but "who is this one with the excellent name in all the earth!" What is man...in his lowly, fallen state...who, in his own lineage, brought forth the Savior of mankind.

So, when you say, "I am curious - what do you think man is then . . . what is the accurate view from scripture?" I think man is fallen, sinful, narcissistic, and thinks of himself more highly than he ought.

When we stand before Him, in that day, we will declare "worthy the Lamb", not worthy the Lee.

Nell